When You Say You Love Me
by RachelFan86
Summary: Ross and Rachel are steadily moving forward in their new relationship. Many surprises arrive for them. Both good and bad. Blah, this is a bad summary.
1. Default Chapter

**When You Say You Love Me**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own these characters. L I wish I did! And nor do I own this song. The lyrics & song is by Josh Groban, one of the most fantastic singers. His voice is godly! After listening to this song many times, it inspired me to compose another fanfic about Ross & Rachel.

-------------------------------

It was the week before Valentine's Day. As Rachel sat on the couch in the apartment she shared with Monica & Chandler, comfortably reading a book, she couldn't believe it. "_Has it really only been five weeks?_"_ she asked herself." It doesn't feel like five weeks. It feels like we've been together since day one…and just never broke apart." _ In the middle of her thoughts, she heard the apartment door creek open and shut. She looked upon from her book and noticed Monica was there.

"Hey Rach. How's it going?"

She sighed. "Perfect. Just perfect. Something very thrilling happened at work today."

Monica gasped. "You got fired?!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yes, Monica, that's very thrilling, getting fired. No, I didn't get fired!"

"Oh, okay. Than what did happen?"

"I got a promotion! I'm now the head of the juniors department!"

Monica went over to her best friend and hugged her. "Oh, I'm so happy for you Rach. Everything seems to be going perfect for you lately. You get Ross, you get this job promotion. What more could happen?"

Exhaling, Rachel said, "I have no idea. But come what may, I'm sure it'll amaze me to no extent. Oh, and don't tell Ross. I'm telling him tonight at dinner."

Nodding her head, "Gotcha," Monica replied.

At that moment, Ross walked in. It had been a long day of work and he was looking forward to nothing more than a night out on the town with his girlfriend. He knew she could make it magical. That was one of her remarkable qualities. She was able to turn him around from having a wretched day to a better day in a split second. He walked over to his sweetheart sitting on the couch and dangled his arms around her.

"Hey beautiful," he whispered softly into her ear. She giggled akin to a little girl.

"Hey sexy. How was your day?"

"It was very blah and boring," Ross declared as he made his way around the couch to sit next to her. "But, now it's better that I'm here with you."

Monica gazed at them. "Aww, how sweet. I think I need a barf bag." The two of them looked at her. "All right, yeah, I think I'm gonna skedaddle. I need to get a few things at the store for the dinner I'm making for Chandler tonight. Catch you two later." And with that, she walked out of Apartment 20, leaving the two lovebirds to themselves.

For some time, they just sat there, with their arms around each other. Ross began to glimpse around the apartment. Realizing that they were all by themselves, he nudged Rachel.

"Hey Rach, do you hear that?"

"Mmm. Hear what?"

"The silence. We're all alone. You wanna…" he whispered as he was making motions over to her bedroom.

"Do I wanna what?" It took her a second to realize that he was motioning towards her bedroom. _"What could he possibly want in there?"_ Than, it hit her. "Oh!" she giggled. 

"Come on, how often do are Chandler & Monica not home at the same time? Or Joey and Phoebe aren't here." 

With that, she shut the book she had been reading and tossed it onto the coffee table. She threw back the blanket she had been wrapped up in and stood up from the couch. Whirling, she faced him.

"You're right. There really is no time that no one is here. And there is no time like the present. Let's go," she said, tenderly pulling Ross up from the couch. As they were making their way across the living to her bedroom, Ross stopped and glanced at his watch. 

"Oh, you know what, Rach? We only have like two hours before our reservations at the restaurant for tonight. I mean, I'd like to go home and change to make myself at least look presentable and don't you want…." He was interrupted by Rachel, who had moved in closer and started kissing him. "Oh, well, you know, we can squeeze this in!" She giggled as they ran into her room. They ran in and shut the door. 

She jumped on her bed and kneeled down to kiss Ross. The touch of his lips upon hers was saccharine. His hands, gently rubbing and move up and down her back, gave her goose bumps. Not that kind of goose bumps that made her quiver, but the kind that made her feel secure, especially in his arms. Being so entranced in kissing him, she was struggling to rip off his jacket and toss it on the floor. Continuously struggling, she broke away from him for a minute.

"Sorry honey. I just need to get this jacket off, now." And with one swift motion, the jacket left Ross and fell silently to the floor. She leaned into his body and they resumed kissing. They both knew that was going through each other's minds. How much they had kissed this over the past weeks, months, and years that has elapsed between their last relationship with each other and the current one. How sweet it was to be loved by the other person. The kiss grew more passionate and intense. Rachel began to silently moan.

Her moan bothered Ross a bit. He broke away, timidly asking, "What's the matter? Do you, do you not want to do this? Does this…does this feel weird? I mean, after all the time that we've been apart."

"It does feel weird," she said readjusting her arms comfortable around his neck. "Only, it doesn't very weird-weird. It feels…wonderfully weird. It feels wonderful. Don't fret, Ross, I don't have any intentions of walking out on you. Trust me, I don't want to go walking down that hard road again."

"Then why were you moaning," he questioned her.

"Because, you are making me feel wonderful. So get back to it." She pulled his body into hers. Continuing to silently moan, Ross flipped her onto the bed how he had done in the past. Carefully, he unbuttoned her pale yellow flowered Ralph Lauren blouse. He flung it off to the side. They passionately kissed so intensely and made love for awhile. During this whole time, a trembling feeling ran throughout Rachel's body. _"This is all just so exhilarating," she thought._ After quite some time, they both stopped and just stayed cuddled together in the sheets, their sweating bodies against each other.

"Wow," Ross silently spoke. "That, that…was amazing."

"I know," she whispered. "It was very intense. Very magical. I can't believe we did that," she laughed. "I figured we'd at least wait until we had gone out to dinner before hand."

"We can always do this again, after dinner," he softly spoke. "Or not, if this was too much for you," he joked.

"Nope, it was totally indescribable. Mmm," she breathed in the scent of her boyfriend. A thought then popped into her head. "What time is it? Did we miss our reservations?" 

Ross, leaning over to look at the clock on Rach's bedside table, shook his head. "No, we didn't. We have little over an hour till our reservations."

Rachel sat up in bed with Ross following in unison. "I've got to get ready. I want to look somewhat gorgeous for you. I can't go like this," she giggled. "You should go get dressed too. After all, you had worked all day in those clothes so they might smell. How about you come back here in about 45 minutes to get me? Will that be sufficient time or does it take longer to go to the restaurant where you made reservations," she asked him as he began to dress.

"Nah, 45 minutes is plenty of time. Of course, you could get ready in five minutes and still look drop dead gorgeous." He continued to dress, pulling on his pants now that he had finished pulling his boxers on. He zippered up his pants, buttoned, them, and looked around for his shirt, tie, and jacket. Once he found his shirt that had been at the foot of her bed on the floor, he casually put it on and buttoned it up. He didn't care about putting on his tie, for he was only going to get undressed into something more fresh and clean once he arrived back at his apartment. Standing up from the bed, he looked over and saw Rachel staring at him.

"What? What is it? Do I have a booger hanging out of my nose or something?" 

Laughing, she said, "No. I simply can't get over that I'm with you again. You have no idea how much I love this feeling."

He reached for her face and brought it to his, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back shortly. I **love** you."

As she watched him walk to the door and out of it, shutting it softly, then out of the apartment when she had heard that door close, she sighed in relief and satisfaction. Then, she sat in the silent room, thinking. As she got rose from the bed and looked for her bathroom to put on before she walked into the bathroom to shower and get ready, she couldn't get him out of her mind.

"I love you, Ross. I love you," she said aloud, even though she knew he wouldn't here. She didn't care. She often spoke aloud to herself in her room when no one was there. "I love you." And with that, she made her way to the bathroom to get ready for their date.

_Like the sound of silence calling,_

_I hear your voice and suddenly_

_I'm falling, lost in a dream._

_I hear the echoes of our souls are meeting,_

_You say those words and my heart stops beating._

_I wonder what it means._

_What could it be that comes over me?_

_At times I can't moves._

_At times I can hardly breathe. _

-------------------------------

Hope all of you enjoyed the first chapter. Please review and let me know what you think! 


	2. Chapter 2

**When You Say You Love Me – Chapter Deux**

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, they aren't mine. And neither is this song, of which belongs to Josh Groban. If you enjoy this fic, I suggest you hear the song. It's amazing. 

-----------------

Humming softly to herself, Rachel walked back into her bedroom from the shower. Glancing at the clock, she realized she really only had twenty minutes before Ross came to get ready. She hurriedly began to scour through her closet in aspirations for finding the perfect outfit to wear. Taking the long pink silk dress that Ross often loved to see her in out, she tossed it on the bed along with a previous selection, the strapless black Ralph Lauren dress with red ribbon underneath the chest and little red flowers scattered about. She knew if she wore the black dress, she'd be like an Eskimo living in an igloo in Alaska, since it was very chilly out, but that didn't matter. Torn and still not having made her choice, she scoffed aloud in frustration when she heard the apartment door shut the rustling of bags.

"Ross," she called out. "Is that you?"

"No, it's just me and Chandler, Rach," Monica replied. "Wasn't Ross here before?"

Rachel made her way to her bedroom door and opened it, still dressed in her bathrobe with her hair in a towel. She looked at Monica helplessly, who was in the kitchen unloading food with Chandler, who had arrived at home shortly ago.

"Yes, Ross was here before. He left a little over an hour ago to get ready for our date tonight."

"So, when's the Stud-Muffin picking you up," Chandler joked. Monica and Rachel both awkwardly stared at him. "It's stuff like that, right?" Chandler questioned the two. They both shook their heads signaling it was that. "So, what time is Ross picking you up?" Chandler tried again. 

"Like, in less than 20 minutes. And I have absolutely no clue what I'm going to wear! Monica, you've gotta help me," she whined. "Please!"

"Alright, fine. I'll help you pick something out. But you owe me."

"Sure, any thing, any time," she answered as they went into her bedroom.

Monica looked at the two dresses her best friend had laid out on the bed. "So, you're basically torn between these two?" Rachel nodded her head, nervously biting on her thumb. "Well, Ross does like you in that pink one. But, I don't think I've seen this black one. Is it new?"

"Yes, it's new. I got it recently." 

"So why not wear that? It'll be a nice shock to Ross's eyes."

"But, what about the cold?"

"Oh, I have a nice black shawl you can drape over your shoulders. And you know, you'll be sitting in a restaurant for probably the majority of the evening, unless Ross has something else planned. And even if you're not, say for instance you're riding in the cab to or from the restaurant, I'm positive he'll have his arms wrapped around you, who will be bundled in a coat, and warm you up should you start to freeze. Trust me, Rach. The black one will look fabulous."

"Really?" Monica nodded her head. With a sigh, she said, "All right. Can you go get me that shawl and let me finished getting ready? I'll get the shawl when I'm ready and he's here."

"Surely. I'll get it and than start dinner. It'll be on the back of the couch in the living room." Monica headed back out into the living room. She walked into her bedroom and got the black shawl, then came back out.

Meanwhile, Rachel still silently hummed to herself as she slipped into the black dress. Zippering up the back, she looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted it on her body. By now, her hair had dried and the hot air from the blow dryer could be felt on her skin. After a few minutes, she turned it off and ran a comb through it, followed by spraying hairspray. Rachel carefully put the earrings in her ears and the necklace around her neck. She was applying her mascara when she noticed Ross was going to be there in a matter of five minutes. She cautiously finished applying all of her makeup. She was tossing a few things of her makeup in her purse and getting on her shoes when she heard Monica call from the living room. 

"Hey Rachel. Ross is here," Monica bellowed from the stove where she was cooking dinner.

"Coming!"

"Hey Mon, Chan." Ross noticed Chandler was enjoying some sort of show on TV and headed over to the couch. "Whatcha watching?"

"Real World, what do you think I'd be watching," Chandler said to his brother-in-law. "So, another date with Rachel?"

"Yep."

"Where are you taking her," Monica inquired.

"Oh, a romantic dinner for two at Tavern on the Green, followed by a little surprise."

"And what surprise might that be," Rachel questioned, leaning against the door frame of her bedroom.

Ross, Monica, and Chandler all glanced over at here. Ross's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe how fabulous she looked in that dress. He walked over to her and kissed her.

"That's for you to find out. At the end of the date," he said, kissing her again.

"Aww, come on! Tell me now," she whined like a two-year-old.

"Nope. But trust me, you'll love it. Ready to go?"

She locked hands with him and they walked to get her coat. "Oh, I almost forgot the shawl," she said as she walked to the back of the couch. She tossed it around her shoulders and Ross brought over her coat, helping her get it on. "Thanks again Mon. I appreciate it."

"Glad to help. Have a good time. Don't stay out too late," she sarcastically joked.

Ross and Rachel both snickered like they were high schoolers going on a first day. "Okay. Night."

The couple walked out of the apartment building and Ross hailed a cab. Once they were in the cab and Ross asked for them to be taken to the Tavern on the Green restaurant, Rachel's head fell against his shoulder.

"Hey Rach, you look absolutely ravishing."

"Why, thank you Ross. You know that never gets old," she uttered with a wink.

"And, and, and I hope this is not so repetitive too that you want to stick cotton balls in your ears to block it out, but, I love you. To the moon and back."

Sighing in contentment, Rachel whispered, "No, that never is old either. I love you too, to the moon and back. Probably more than you'll ever know," she told him as he sweetly planted a kiss on her head. Her heat felt silent, but a precious golden silent that was indescribable.

_When you say you love me,_

_The world goes still, so still and silent._

_When you say you love,_

_For a moment, there's no one else alive. _


	3. Chapter 3

**When You Say You Love Me – Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, yes, they aren't mine. Nor is the song that inspired this fan fic. The song is by Josh Groban. ;) 

Once the cab had arrived at the Tavern on the Green restaurant, Ross slipped the cab driver the money for the fare and the couple climbed out. As the cab slipped off into the busy Manhattan traffic, Rachel was so excited she was at Tavern on the Green.

"Ross, gosh, I can't believe this! I can't believe we're here! Why this restaurant, of all places," she questioned her boyfriend.

"Because I just felt like you deserved something special. Only you deserve the best. Come on, let's go," he said as they shuffled to the entrance of the restaurant.

After checking their coats, Ross spoke to the hostess. "Hi, We have reservations. Geller, party of two."

The hostess checked the log book of all reservations. "Oh right, Mr.Geller. We reserved that special table you asked for. If the two of you will please follow me." She led them to a picturesque looking table where the table was adorned in flowers, lilies, Rachel's favorite flower.

"Here you go," the hostess replied politely. "Your waiter will be with you shortly." The two nodded as Ross pulled out the chair for Rachel to sit in.

"Why thank you, honey," she breathed. "How very chivalrous of you!"

"You know me," he giggled, taking his own seat. Picking up his menu, "Order any thing you want," he told her.

"Really? Great, cause I'm starving and could just about go for anything on the menu."

They both began to review their selection of choices on the menu when the waiter came over.

"Hello, my name is Patrick, I shall be your serve for the evening," he informed them. "For starters, can I get the two of you something to drink?"

"Oh sure, that'd be lovely," Rachel said. "Honey, is a bottle of white wine okay by you?"

"Whatever you want."

"Great. One bottle of white whine, please."

"No problem. I shall return shortly," the waiter replied as he made his way back to the kitchen.

Glancing around the romantic atmosphere she was in, Rachel sighed. "Oh, Ross, this is just magnificent. Thank you for bringing me here tonight," she said while placing her hand on top of his on the table.

They locked eyes and were in a trance. They were in such a trance that they didn't even notice the waiter bring back the wine."

"Here you are, sir," the waiter said as he handed the bottle over to Ross, who had indicated he wanted to pour it for the two of them. "Shall I give you a few more moments or are you ready to order right now?"

Clearing her throat, "Well, I'm ready. Ross, how about you?"

"Yes, ready to order. I'll go first," he stated as the waiter whipped out his order pad. 

"Would you like to hear the specials," the waiter inquired, "or do you already know them?"

"No, no, we don't know them," Rachel said. "What are tonight's specials?"

"We have cracked lobster in a light, buttery sauce; grilled salmon topped off with a dab of parsley; and a porterhouse steak served with a side of dry vegetables and a garden salad. Oh, and our soup of the day is French Onion."

"Oh, the cracked lobster in a light, buttery sauce sounds great! I'll have that," Rachel squealed.

"And I'll have the porterhouse steak special," Ross told the waiter.

"Great. Would either of you like the soup of the day?" The two of them shook their heads in a 'no' fashion. "Okay, great. Your food should be ready in a bit. Enjoy the evening. If you so chose so, you take your lovely lady up for a dance," indicating to Ross of their dance floor that was scattered about with couples dancing the night away. He left for the kitchen.

"So, what was it that you wanted to tell me earlier but insisted it wait till tonight at dinner," Ross pressed Rachel as he playfully stroked her hand.

"Well, it's about work."

"What about work? Something happen? Someone harass you because if they did, I swear on the Holy Bible…!"suddenly getting all defensive about his woman.

"Ross, no one harassed me and you swearing on the Holy Bible wouldn't work since you're Jewish. Anyway, it was just a normal day. There was a marketing meeting, which dragged on as long as a drive to Ohio. But after the meeting, my boss asked me to see her in her office. I can't tell you how petrified I was when she said that, just because of the look on her face."

"Well, what happened? What did your boss want to talk to you about?"

Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Well, once I was in her office, she commented on how much I was of an asset to the company and how well I had been working over the past few months. She said the head of the juniors department was leaving because she decided to be a stay at home mom instead of a full-time working mom so they needed to hire someone for the position. She said that instead of looking outside of the company to hire someone, they decided to look in another department for someone with much experience. I was informed that she had recommended me for the position."

"And?" Ross questioned her, holding his excitement on the inside incase she was about to reveal that she didn't get the job.

"I got the job! I'm now the head of the junior's department at Ralph Lauren!" she squealed.

"Oh Rach, that's so exciting! Congratulations, baby. Now, that is a reason to celebrate!"

"I know," she giggled. "Wow. This is going to be great. I get to make all the decisions of what the juniors line will look like, the clothes that will be ordered, pick out the models for the catalog to model the junior's line. It's all so much!" Taking a deep breath, "Everything, lately, has been going so perfectly. God, I couldn't ask for anything more."

"How so?" Ross playfully questioned her.

"Well, for starters, the two of us finally got back together. That passionate kiss we shared the first night. The hugs. The dinners and dancing. The raw, passionate, animal sex," she slightly said with a giggle. "And now with this job promotion, it's just so perfect. I don't think anything could make my life go wrong."

"I highly doubt anything will be thrown at you that makes your life incredibly hard," he replied, squeezing her hand. "Care to share a dance," motioning to the dance floor?

"Absolutely."

Guiding her over to the dance floor, Ross couldn't help but break out in a smile. It was one of the things he loved most about being with her again. He had missed the times they had danced together in the past, the way her body leaned on top of his. The way she locked her arms around him in a death grip, terrified to let him go. His memories of the past were abruptly interrupted by Rachel slightly pulling him closer to him. They locked arms around each other and slowly swayed to the light music that other couples on the dance floor were enjoying as well.

As they swayed to the music, Ross decided he had a few things to whisper into Rachel's ear.

"You know, Rach," he began, "how they say that there are people you can live with but there is truly somewhere in the world someone that you can't live without?" She nodded her head that was nestled on his shoulder. "Well, ever since we started dating again, I've had that feeling about you. For some reason, you make me feel on top of the world. You make my heart beat so fast when I see you. Tonight, I nearly passed out from your beauty. I simply closed my eyes and tried to regain my composure. I feel safe in your arms and it is as if you shelter me with your love. I feel like my heart is not going to get ripped out and torn apart by someone now that I'm with you."

"Ross, I feel the same exact way," she replied, plunging in for a kiss. As they kissed, Ross was feeling out of this world.

_You're the one I always thought of_

_I don't know how, but I feel sheltered in your love._

_You're where I belong._

_And when you're with me if I close my eyes,_

_There are times I swear I feel like I can fly_

_For a moment in time._

_Somewhere between the Heavens and Earth_

_And frozen in time, oh when you say those words…………_

---------

_AN: I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. I realize it may not be very eventful for some readers and while for others, it's good. Please see where I'm going with this! I've read many of stories and novels where there is crap filler for something leading up to something exciting or scary. So just hang on. I've still got a few more chapters left in this baby. Read & review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**When You Say You Love Me – Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, they're not mine! It's such a shame. J The song/lyrics that inspired this fan fic are by Josh Groban.

As they exited from the restaurant, Rachel pestered Ross about her surprise that he had mentioned to her earlier.

"So, sweetie, what is it," she inquired. "Is it diamonds? Because you know, diamonds are a girl's best friend," she commented with a slight wink of her eye. 

"Well, you'll just have to wait a tad bit longer," he answered her, gently guiding her down the sidewalk. "We're almost there."

"Ross, come on! Just tell me. You know how bad I am at waiting. I'm like a little kid at Christmas who will shake their presents."

"Okay, just wait a second." They stopped. "I want you to close your eyes."

"Ross!" she yelled. "This is silly. Why do I have to close my eyes? I'm going to crash into something if I do that."

"No you won't. I love you too much to let you do that. Just hold my hand and trust me."

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and place one of her hands over them. With her other hand locked in Ross's hand, they walked to the destination of her surprise. After getting there, Ross waited a few seconds before revealing the surprise to her.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Rachel took her hand away from her eyes, opened them, with her jaw dropping open wide.

"Ross, oh my word," she breathed staring at the horse and carriage before her. There was a red carpet lined for a bit on the sidewalk for them to walk on before they got into the carriage. They walked up to the carriage, Ross getting in first, than helping her get in. When they sat down inside and as the carriage driver was rolling the carpet back up, Ross pulled out a bouquet of lilies. 

"Aww, honey!"

"See, I told you this surprise would be special," he told her, planting a kiss on her head. 

"Wow, this certainly is fit for a princess," she said, looking all thrilled. 

"Well, it's fit for a princess. My princess. You're my princess." 

"And you're my prince," she said with a laugh.

"Sir, where to?" the carriage driver inquired.

"Any special place you'd like to go, sweetie?"

"Anywhere is fine, sir." And with that, the horses began to trot through the streets of the city amidst the city life surroundings. 

Slightly shivering, Rachel snuggled up to her boyfriend as the carriage trotted around the streets. Ross covered them with a blanket and they just sat, staring at the sights.

"I could do this forever," she softly professed.

"Do what forever?"

"This. Us…snuggling, the dinners, the kisses. I wish it could be forever."

"If you only knew I wanted it to be forever and make it forever," Ross thought to himself.

_When you say love me_

_The world goes still, so still and silent_

_When you say you love me_

_For a moment there's no one else alive………_

Shortly thereafter, the evening was over. The carriage brought them up to the apartment building of Monica & Chandler's apartment. After exiting the carriage, he walked Rachel up to the apartment. He couldn't leave her without saying goodbye, for he never knew if it'd be the last. As Rachel opened the door to Apartment #20, they walked in, careful to not disturb Monica and Chandler if they were already sleeping.

"Goodnight my love," they whispered to each other. Holding Rachel in his arms, Ross just gazed all over her. Her body was amazing. If he was a girl, he'd kill to look like her. Her eyes were the shape of faint ovals, with such a light color to them. Her nose, so slender and tiny. Her mouth, so tiny yet the object that spoke so many profound things to him, both now and in the past, both that he loved and hurt him. Her lips were just so luscious. With the deep red color she had painted them with earlier in the evening, they still stood out to him. Everything was just so luscious about her. He was taken aback when she suddenly pulled him in for a kiss.

"Goodnight sweetie. I gotta get to bed, for I have to get to work tomorrow earlier for my new orientation as head of the junior department."

Nodding his head, he gave her one last kiss and hug, and then slipped out of the apartment. As Rachel walked into her bedroom, she began to take off her jewelry and silently hummed to herself. Once in her room, she undressed and than got into her pajamas. As her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep. And during her deep sleep, she planned to think of nothing but one person, Ross.

Many hours later, as the sun shined into the apartment, Monica began to hustle around in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready. She knew Chandler would be leaving soon for a meeting. She knew that Joey would be over shortly, because without her cooking, he probably wouldn't eat. And of course, Ross usually came over in the morning to spend some time with everyone, especially Rachel. Shortly, Chandler appeared from their bedroom.

"Good morning, gorgeous," he said smugly while wrapping his arms around her as she stood at the stove. "That was some good lovin' last night!"

Monica giggled. She loved their relationship and knew it was sometimes envied by Rachel because she wished she had it as well. "I KNOW!" 

"So, do you want to do it again tonight," Chandler said with a wink. 

"You betcha, sailor. Now, what type of pancakes will it be today-plain, blueberries, or chocolate chip?"

"Chocolate chip!"

"Morning guys," Rachel said as she trotted into the kitchen. The lovebirds at the stove turned their heads.

"Hey Rach," Chandler called. "How was your date last night?"

"It was," she sighed, "magical." 

Monica was curious as to what that big surprise was her geeky older brother had planned. So, she decided to press Rachel before she hurried to work for any juicy details. 

"So," she began, "how'd it exactly go? Where'd he take you? What'd you do? What was the surprise?"

Rachel stared at Monica. "Monica, what is this, twenty questions? It's like playing that game with Phoebe where she asks you all those questions and you have to answer really fast."

"I'm just curious about how your date went. Can't a girl get a little gossip?"

"Gossip is bad, dear," Chandler doted. 

"Hey, you watch the E! Channel! I wouldn't be talking," she shouted back.

"Okay, before this turns into a yelling tournament," Rachel intervened, "I'll tell you what happened."

Monica finished flipping the stack of pancakes and brought the plate over to the table, setting it down. She took a seat and settled in to listen.

"Well, it was beyond a perfect evening. We took a cab ride to Tavern on the Green. And in the restaurant, they had the most picturesque looking table set up for the two of us. Mon, he even remembered my favorite flower that embellished the table. Lilies. I told him that when we first went out and he remember it all along."

Monica smiled at her. "Well, you know Ross. He's told something, he remembers it like one of those boring old dinosaur facts that no one cares about but him and his geeky paleontologist friends." 

Laughing, Rachel continued to tell about her night. "Well, he let me order anything on the menu; honestly, he said he didn't care about the cost. After ordering the wine and having some of it, he pulled me to the dance floor. And we just swayed. You know that feeling," she said, taking a pause, "that when you're so deeply in love with someone, you just feel safe and secure in their arms?"

Monica and Chandler looked at each other. "Yeah, I know what that's like," Chandler said as he gazed into Monica's eyes, "I felt that from the first time I danced with Monica."

"Well, it was just so…peaceful and serene. We danced for awhile until the food was ready. Then we enjoyed our meal and dessert. Afterwards, we walked away from the restaurant and he leaded me over to the surprise. He rented a horse and carriage to take us on a ride throughout the city."

"Wow, how romantic," Monica stated. "I can't believe he did that!"

"I know!" Rachel squealed. He even had a red carpet rolled out for us to walk on as we were going to the carriage to get in. The ride around the city was just magical. The entire evening was filled of magic. God, I couldn't have asked for a better day and night yesterday. Like, seriously, I've haven't been happier."

Monica glanced at her friend, who was just smiling as if she was starring in a toothpaste commercial. "I know. You look like you slept with a coat hanger in your mouth."

Chandler was just equally as thrilled for Rachel as Monica was. He knew all these past months as Rachel moped around, sad that she didn't have a boyfriend until New Years Eve when Ross and Rachel got back together, that there was a guy out there for her. She was one of his closest friends and that he related to well with his parents screwed up marriage and her parents' marriage as well. He wanted nothing more than for his wife, her brother, and the rest of their friends to be happy. "Well Rach," he uttered, "I'm happy for you. You truly look happy and that's all that matters."

Getting up from her seat, she gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Thanks, that means a lot. It really does." She looked up at the clock. "Oh shoot. If I don't leave now, I'm going to be late. Don't want to be late on my first day as head of juniors. Don't want to look bad. Bye you guys. See you later," she uttered while making her way to the door. "Oh Mon, if Ross stops over, tell him I'll give him a call later at work if I'm not too busy." 

"I will do. Bye Rach, good luck!"

"Knock 'em dead," Chandler chimed in. The door shut and within two seconds, it reopened. Joey appeared and stood by the counter, rubbing his belly. "Got any food to eat?" he asked. Monica laughed and Chandler sighed as well. She got up to get him a stack of pancakes, to which when Joey saw them, he began to lick his lips in anticipation of the syrupy cake hitting his lips.

Meanwhile, down outside on the streets, Rachel began to walk to go get a cab. She quickly glanced at her watch, and was in a hush. She figured, "Well, it's only a few more blocks from here, I'll just briskly walk fast. Taking a cab might be too long with hailing it and all." So, she began to hurriedly make her way to the office. She didn't want to be late and make a bad impression, even though she already worked in another department at Ralph Lauren. She was extremely nervous for the new task she was going to have at hand, but she was confident and knew her friends had confidence in her that she'd succeed at this position. For after all, this was the dream job she dreamed of since she was a little girl and dressed up in her mother's dresses, pearls, and shoes. Everything seemed to be going smoothly for me lately, she thought as she looked both ways before crossing one street. In the midst of crossing the street, she heard someone scream, "Excuse me, Miss! Look out!!!"

Rachel turned around both ways to see who the person was screaming "look out!" to. She didn't realize they meant her. But it was too late to do anything. She saw a car with harsh headlights veering its way down the street. It hit her with such a force that she flew a few feet through the air and landed on the ground. A crowd of people gathered around her as the car that hit Rachel sped off, in hopes of avoiding the cops.

"Someone call 9-1-1," a man said, kneeling down to see if she was okay. A woman quickly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed the number.

"Hello, 911? Yes, this is an emergency. There's been an accident. We need an ambulance…" she trailed off, giving the rest of the details while the crowd of people swarmed around Rachel's body lying in the street.

"Ross…," she whimpered as she was clutching her own cell phone she had in her hand that she was going to use to call Ross as soon as she had crossed the street. She continued to softly whimper his name because she was hurt and she wanted him to comfort her. But than, all of a sudden, she stopped and blacked out.

-------

_AN: Hope you liked this chapter! Sorry it got so long. But it was awhile since I last updated so I thought I might make this nice and long since I might not be able to make another chapter this weekend or not. Please read & review! Comments are appreciated! More chapters to follow. __J _


	5. Chapter 5

**When You Say You Love Me – Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer:** Nope, they're not mine! It's a shame though. And neither are the songs lyrics that inspired the title of this fan fic. The song is by Josh Groban. 

Joey, Monica, and Chandler were all sitting together at the table in the kitchen, small-talking about many different topics. Chandler and Joey wanted to get tickets to a hockey or basketball game. Monica was talking about how they should redecorate their bedroom but Chandler chose to ignore his wife because he knew that hands down, his opinion didn't matter because he'd let her do whatever her heart desired to the room. All of a sudden, in came Ross.

"Hey everyone," he said. 

"Hey dude," Joey and Chandler both said. Monica got up from her chair and gave her brother a hug.

"Hey big bro. Hungry? Want some pancakes?"

"Sure, that sounds great," he replied while pulling out a chair to sit down. "So, so where's Rachel?"

"Oh, yeah, she had to leave early for her first day as head of junior's but she said she'll give you a call later from work if her day doesn't keep her occupied."

Ross sighed. "Man, I was hoping to talk to her before she left. I wanted to give her some advice."

Joey rolled his eyes at Ross. "Would that be the same advice you gave me on my last audition for that milk commercial?"

"My advice was to NOT burp the alphabet and what did you do? Burp the alphabet. This is completely different," Ross said. 

Joey sighed. "Whatever. But I'll have you know, those burps did get me that commercial."

Monica placed a stack of pancakes in front of Ross, who began to dig into them. He was starving. He couldn't eat that morning when he got up because he was still on cloud nine from the previous night's outing with Rachel.

"Mmm, these pancakes are good Mon!" 

"Thanks," she said with a passionate smile. "So," she said casually as she began to sit down again, "we heard you and Rachel had a great time last night. Hmm?" 

"Indeed we did," he retorted with a smirk. "Magical is a perfect word…."

In mid-sentence, Ross was cut off by the ringing of the telephone. At first he thought it was his cell phone and maybe it was Rachel calling to say she loved him. But it wasn't. It was Chandler and Monica's phone. Monica picked up the phone and moved into the living room to talk, leaving the guys by themselves a bit.

"Ross, want to come with us to a Knicks Game in a couple of weeks?" Joey asked him.

He finished swallowing the bit of pancake that was in his mouth. "Sure. Just tell me when so I don't schedule a date the same night with Rachel."

"Well, if you guys will excuse me, I gotta get to work. Got to find some smart things in this brain of mine to put to use with advertisements," Chandler joked as he got up from the table. He walked over to his wife who was sitting down on the couch with the phone in her lap, and slightly trembling.

"Sweetie," he said crouching down in front of her. He noticed the tears running from her eyes and the tear-stained face. She sniffled and threw her arms around him. Joey and Ross heard the sniffles and a little muffled cry. Concerned, they also went into the living room.

"Monica," Chandler carefully pressed, "what's wrong?"

"That…that…that was someone from Beth Israel Hospital. There, there was an accident. Rachel was brought there in an ambulance. They need someone to come down to the emergency room," she choked out through her tears and sobs.

"Hey, hey," her husband softly spoke as he gathered her in his arms. "It'll be okay. Rachel's strong. She won't die," he said while rubbing her back. He looked over at Joey and Ross. Joey and Ross both looked panicked.

"Did they say if her injuries were serious," Ross whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

"I don't know. They said that she was hit by a car, the car sped away, and than she was brought to the hospital."

Ross's entire body at that moment began to tremble instead. _"What kind of asshole hits a person in the street with their car and can't make sure they are okay?" _ He got his coat and began to pull it on.

Chandler, still rocking weeping Monica in his arms, asked, "Where are you going?"

"To the hospital. I _have_ to make sure she's okay. I just _have_ to."

Joey looked at the distraught look on Ross's face. He looked at the tear-stained face of Monica. "Ross, you can't go by yourself. Come on, you're upset."

"What, are you saying I wait around? Do you want me to wait around to get a call that informs me my girlfriend died from a hit and run accident? Is that what you want?" he began to shout.

"No, no," Joey quietly said. "I'm just very concerned. For both her sake and yours. Let me come with you. Come on. Let's go." The two walked towards the door. Joey turned back to Chandler and Monica. "Are you guys gonna be okay?" They both nodded.

"We'll be right behind you," Monica said. "I'll call Phoebe and we'll meet you all at the hospital. I just need to wash my face. I just can't let her see me like this." The door to the apartment slammed shut as Ross and Joey hurriedly headed out of the building to get to the hospital.

Shortly, they had arrived at Beth Israel. Ross flew into the hospital with Joey at his heels. They flew to the admit desk in the emergency room. Desperate for information, Ross banged his fists on the desk to get the nurse's attention.

"Yes sir," she said looking up from the chart she had been writing. "What can I do for you?"

The look of her face pained Ross. _"What if I never get to see her angelic face again?"_ He couldn't speak.

Clearing his throat, "One of our friends was brought here. She was hit by a car in a hit and run. We were called to come down here."

"Okay, what's her name," she asked, looking at the board.

"Rachel Green," Joey told the nurse.

"Ah, yes. Ms. Green. She was worked on by Dr. Fisher."

Ross snapped back to reality. He just heard the nurse use 'worked on' to describe Rachel. "What do you mean, she _was_ worked on by this doctor? Please, dear God, is she alive?"

"Yes, but she was seriously injured. If you can just have a seat over there," pointing to a row of chairs, "I'll go find the doctor for you so you can get an update."

"Thank you," Joey said as she went off to find Dr. Fisher. "Let's go sit down." 

Ross grudgingly sat down in the seat. As he sat there, waiting for any news, he thought he was going to lose it. He could feel the tears welling up in the back of his eyes. His heart raced as fast as a racehorse. Joey was just as nervous as Ross for what might come. He nervously tapped his feet on the floor and drummed his fingers on his thighs. As Joey looked up from starring at the floor, he saw Chandler with Monica and Phoebe, scanning the waiting room chairs for the two of them. Joey motioned where they were and the three hurried over. 

"Hey guys," Phoebe said as she took a seat beside them. "Have you heard anything?"

"Well, she's alive," Ross said with a grateful sigh. "Thank God."

"Anything else," Monica asked questioningly, clutching her purse close to her chest. 

"No. The nurse went to go find the doctor that worked on her to talk to us."

Than, began the tremendous amount of silence. No one knew what to say. No one really knew what to say to Ross to comfort him. They could see he was distraught. He was frustrated. Ross got up from his seat and began to pace in a path up and down in front of his friends. Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe all starred at him.

"Pheebs?" Joey whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I've ever seen Ross like this before," he said quietly as the two watched Ross wring his hands in frustration.

"I know. It's scary. But I don't know what to do."

"Me neither. I don't want to say something wrong. I mean, all we can do is be there for him."

"And Rach. She's gonna need it after the hell she's been through," Phoebe added.

"Right."

It hurt Monica to see her brother in pain. She knew that Ross didn't deserve to spend his day like this, pacing in a hospital, waiting to find out how critical his girlfriend was injured. It just wasn't fair. He had been there for her through all the good times and all the bad times. _"Maybe he needs a hug," she thought._ She got up, and walked over to her brother, who had been starring into the contents of the snack vending machine.

"Ross," she said as she lightly tapped his shoulder. "Are you okay?" 

She heard him sniffle and he turned around to face her. One look at his eyes and face, she knew the answer to her question. "Mon, I'm just so scared. What if she's fine now but she gets worse? What if she dies in a day? How will I live?"

She gathered her big brother in her arms and hugged him. "I don't know what will happen. None of us will. But we just have to pray to God that she'll get through it and come out strong in the end."

Finally, the doctor approached the group who had ever so patiently been waiting in the chairs. "Excuse me."

Ross and Monica broke apart from their hug and turned town the direction of the sound. Phoebe, Joey, and Chandler all looked up from what they'd been doing.

"Are you Ross Geller?" the doctor questioned.

"Yes, yes I am. Are you Dr.Fisher?" he asked the woman doctor in front of him.

"Yes, I am. Please, have a seat."

"No, I don't want to. Please, just tell me how Rachel is. I can't take this agonizing pain anymore."

Dr.Fisher took a deep breath and began. "Well, I must say, she's a fighter. I didn't think she'd make through, but she did. She's a hell of a strong woman."

The five of them sighed in relief.

"Doctor, how serious are her injuries?" Chandler questioned.

"She's not in a coma, which I am sure you're relieved to hear."

"Oh thank God," Ross breathed aloud. Monica let out a happy little cry and Chandler slipped his arm around her waist.

"However, she's going to need a lot of physical therapy. She broke her right hip and fractured her left arm. Also, a couple of rips were broken and her body was bruised. Considering the cause of the injuries, it's a miracle they're not more serious."

"When can I see her?" Ross wanted to know. 

"You can all go see her now, but not for very long. She's been through a lot and needs her rest. If you follow me, I'll show you to her room." The five of them followed Dr. Fisher to Rachel's room. As they walked what seemed to be a never ending walk, Ross just kept sighing. _"Thank you God. Thank You."_

_---------_

_AN: Sorry for the long space in between updates! I got really busy with school and my brother was home from college and I didn't have time to compose the next chapter. I know I didn't use any of the lyrics from the song for this chapter but in the next chapter they'll definitely appear. Please read & review! Thanks! __J _


	6. Chapter 6

**When You Say You Love Me – Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, these awesome 6 aren't mine. Nor is the song _When You Say You Love Me_ by Josh Groban that inspired this fan fic.

AN: Sorry for the long gap between updates! Life got busy with school and this fan fic got put on the back burner for awhile. I'll be updating it piece by piece as I can.

----------------------------------------------------

As the five followed Dr.Fisher down the long corridor to Rachel's room, it seemed as if it was a never ending path. Finally, Dr.Fisher stopped in front of room 513 and paused.

"I just want to warn you, you may be a little shocked by her appearance. She is hooked up to a few machines right now so we can keep track of her vitals and make sure everything's okay. You ready?"

They nodded their heads and the door to her room creaked open. They walked in and got a glance of Rachel peacefully sleeping in the bed. Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe all stood back since they knew Ross needed to see her. They didn't want to crowd him.

As Ross approached Rachel in the bed, he became all choked up. He could see the IV that was in her arm, the beeps of the machines that surrounded her. He took her warm hand and fit it into his, repeatedly kissing it.

"If I talk to her," he asked the doctor, "can she hear me?"

"Yes, you can talk to her. She won't answer you back since she's sleep from some medication we gave her but you can talk to her."

"Rach? Sweetie, it's me," he said softly. "Ross." All he received was a slight groan from her and than dead silence."

"I'm going to leave you," the doctor said while slipping out of the room. "I'll be back later to check on her."

As the door shut, Ross looked at the rest of his friends standing back, away from the bed. "You guys can come and visit. Come on. It's not like she's going to bite you."

As they all approached the bed, the silence continued. It felt like the ambience of a funeral home during a wake.

"Ross," Chandler addressed him, "are you sure you don't want to be left alone with her?"

"Yeah," Monica chimed in. "We can always come back later and visit with her after you've gotten some time alone with her."

He shook his head as he stared into her eyes. "No," he whispered quietly. "I want you to stay."

Joey, Phoebe, Monica, and Chandler all sat around Rachel's hospital room. There'd been an awkward amount of dead silence for awhile. No one knew what to say to Ross. They didn't want to say anything and hurt his feelings because he'd been through enough for one day. But as Joey sat near the windows with Phoebe and looked at Ross, he couldn't help but want to just cry. And crying was unusual for him. He couldn't stand to see one of his friends in pain.

"Ross," Joey said while standing up from his spot, "can I get you something? A cup of coffee, maybe something to eat?"

"The only thing I want now is for her to wake up. Screw having coffee, screw eating, forget everything."

Joey was stunned by his reaction. "Ok….I'm sorry…I was just trying to be helpful. Are you sure you don't want something?"

Ross was sorry those words even left his mouth. He didn't mean to snap at one of his best friends. He knew they were just trying to help him make the best of the lousy situation. They just wanted to be there for him. "Actually, if you wouldn't mind, a coffee would be good."

Joey nodded his head. "Sure, no problem," he replied. "Anyone else want anything?"

"You know what, I'm kind of hungry myself. I'll come with you, Joe," Chandler said.

"Me too," chimed in Phoebe. The three of them left Ross and Monica by themselves in Rachel's room. Once it was just Ross, Monica, Rachel and the beeping of the machines, Monica couldn't help but almost breakdown in tears again. She sat in one of those hard plastic chairs that were extremely uncomfortable, on the opposite side of the bed across from Ross. As she watched him caress Rachel's hand and just stare at her, hoping that'd wake her up, she felt scared. What if Rachel's condition suddenly turned to very serious? What if she died? What would happen then?

"Mon," she heard as Ross interrupted her thoughts. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For simply being here. I don't know what I'd do without you or Chandler or Joey or Phoebe. I'm sorry if I seem a tad bit insane or hasty right now. It's only because I want to talk to Rachel."

She got up from her chair, walked around the bed to where her big, older brother was sitting and hugged him. "Honey, it's totally understandable. I'm sure Chandler or I would've reacted the same way if it was one of us in Rachel's place and the other found out. And I'm sure it'd be the same feelings that Joey and Phoebe have. It's normal how you're feeling. We're all going to be here for you…and Rachel. We'll just take it one day at a time," she said patting his shoulder. "It'll get better. You'll see. I promise."

Suddenly, they both were surprised. They heard another moan from Rachel, only this time it was slightly louder. Ross and Monica both glimpsed at how she kept turning her head back and forth, left to right on the pillow.

"Is…is she having a seizure or something," Ross questioned. "What's wrong with her?"

"Besides the accident and the injuries, nothing is wrong. Why don't I go see if I can find that Dr. Fisher. Maybe she can tell us if Rachel's okay. I'll be back in a second," she said as the door swung shut.

"Rach, it's me, honey. Ross," he whispered into her ears. "Honey, are you awake?"

"Mmmmm," she murmured. She continued to make little grunting noises. It worried Ross. As he looked to the ceiling up towards the sky, he pleaded, _"God, please do not take her. I'm not ready to let go. We just got things going good again. Please."_

Monica quickly returned with Dr. Fisher. Dr. Fisher began to shine a flashlight into Rachel's eyes, checking to see if her pupils were equal, round, and reactive.

"Well, everything seems to be improving. Her vital signs are stable…" she trailed off, being interrupted by Rachel's persistent moans. The three of them just observed Rachel. After what seemed like an eternity, she became lucid and awoke.

"Where….where…where am I?" she uttered. "What happened to me? Why can I not move? I'm not paralyzed am I?" She turned and saw Ross's hand grasping her's and smiling at her.

"Rachel," began Dr. Fisher, "I'm Dr. Fisher. You were brought in by ambulance because you were hit by a car as you were crossing the street. Unfortunately, you do have some injuries. Your right hip is broken and your left are is fractured. Your body is also going to be sore for quite a few days because of broken ribs so it might hurt to move. Considering how you were hit, I'm surprised there wasn't more serious damage."

"How long do I have to be in the hospital," she asked as Ross adjusted the pillow behind her head.

"We're definitely going to want to keep you overnight for observation. We'll probably keep you here for awhile, get you started with some therapy to help you with your hip. Once you're making progress, we'll release you and than you'll have to continue the therapy to ensure the hip injury doesn't get worse."

"Wow. Okay. Well, um, when does physical therapy start? I don't know how long I'll be able to sit on my butt in this bed. I might go stir-crazy," she said with a gentle laugh.

"Oh Rach, you're starting to sound like me if I can't clean!" Monica laughed. That did it. Hearing Rachel laugh and than it being reciprocated by Monica allowed them all to be at ease and relax. It was like a huge cloud of tension had been lifted off their shoulders.

"If you have any more questions, I'll be out at the desk. Also, if you're in pain, hit your call button there for a nurse and they'll come in to give you something to ease any pain you might have," Dr. Fisher said as she moved towards the door.

"Okay, thank you, Doctor," Rachel replied. The door shut. "Wow, this was _so_ not how I thought my day was going to end up. I though I'd go to work, begin my new job, order some new clothes, maybe talk to designers, set up meetings and so forth. Little did I think I'd wind up here, in a hospital bed. Well, at least I have you guys," she said looking at Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe. "And of course, you. Who could forget you?"

Ross tried to choke back the tears he felt but couldn't help himself. "Well, we're all just glad you're okay."

"It really means a lot to me that you guys all dropped everything and came here. You have no idea."

"Of course, we'd do it again in a heartbeat," Chandler said.

"Absolutely," responded Joey. "You're our friend and we'd do anything for you."

She wiped back the tears that she had fought so hard to keep in. "Thanks. I really appreciate it." She saw Phoebe whispering to Monica in the corner. "Hey, you two. Snap out of it. What's going on?"

"Oh, I was just saying how we should get you like a stripper to lighten the mood up around here but Monica was dead-set against it," Phoebe joked. Rachel laughed. "Actually, we were just talking about something special but it's no big deal."

"Exactly," said Monica. "Rach, you seem a little exhausted. Why don't the four of us leave and give you some alone time with Ross? We can all come back later tomorrow and you'll have had a chance to rest up. Come on guys, let's go."

The four approached her bed, kissed her goodbye, and said they'd be back tomorrow.

"Hey, I know what we can do!" Joey said excitedly on their way out the door. "Let's go get some meatball subs." Chandler just pushed him through the door out into the hall, turned back, smiled at Rachel and Ross and said, "Excuse him. He's not thinking clearly….ever. See you guys tomorrow," he called, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Sweetie, I'm so glad you're okay. I think my heart skipped a beat when the phone rang and than Monica answered it with later telling us the bad news. Not something I wanted to hear after spending one of the most magical nights of my life with you last night."

"I know. I don't even remember getting hit. I don't think I remember much. All I know is I was crossing the street and had the cell phone in hand, about to dial your number to just talk to you. Next thing I knew, someone was screaming to look out and I turned around to see who it was and than I guess that's when the car hit me. Damn bastard. I seriously hope they find who did it."

"I'm sure they will. I'm just glad you're still here."

"Me too," she softly said. She sat there, silently, allowing Ross to rub her hand.

"Rach, um, you're a little quiet. Anything wrong?"

"Well, I just don't know."

"Don't know what?"

"I just don't know if I can do this!" The waterworks began to fall from her eyes and it pained him. He gathered her up in his arms as best as he could, not wanting to hurt her fractured arm or anything else that might hurt. He rocked her back and forth.

"Shush, shush," he said. "It's going to be okay."

"How do you know that? What if all of a sudden my injuries turned to something worse? What if they didn't catch something and it later shows up? And I die? What will you do then? What will Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and Joey do then? Huh? You can't just sit there and tell me it's going to be okay."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because. Because I'm scared!"

"Scared of what? What do you have to be scared of?"

"So many things Ross. I'm scared you're going to leave me. I'm scared of a possibility of maybe having to be confined to a wheelchair the rest of my life. I'm scared you don't love me. I'm scared everyone is going to abandon me. I'm afraid I'm going to fail at my new job. No, I'm afraid I'm going to fail at physical therapy. I'm just so scared," she cried.

"Rachel, I can't tell you that things won't be easy. Yes, they're going to be rough. But we're going to get through it. I _promise_. I cross my heart. There's just no way I'm going to leave you now. I've been chasing you since high school. I finally got you back and it's wonderful. You're making me feel like I'm on cloud nine all over again. There's also no way I could love you. I've been standing at your bedside since I found out about the accident, begging and pleading with God to not take you. I've cried a river, Rachel. Don't believe me? Ask Monica, Chandler, Pheebs or Joey. They all saw me. No one is going to abandon you. We're all going to be here for you, through thick and thin. I promise."

"You promise?"

"Yes. I promise. I won't leave your side unless I absolutely have to or you want me to. I'll go to physical therapy with you. I'll stay there while you work and I'll help you get better. Sure this is something we did not need right now but it's going to make us stronger. We've come so, so incredibly far and I'm not going to let this screw things up. You understand me?"

"I understand you. I'm just afraid but I guess it's okay to be afraid. If I have the five of you with me every step of the way in the recovery process, I guess it won't be that bad."

"No it won't. Things will get better. I love you."

"I love you too," she said, kissing him on the lips.

_And this journey that we're on_

_How far we've come and I celebrate every moment_

_And when you say you love me,_

_That's all you have to say._

_I'll always feel this way._

------------------------------

_AN: Again, sorry for the long gap in between updates! I hope that this makes up for it! I'm thinking there's about 1-3 more chapters maybe left in this story. Please read and review!! Thanks. _


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine here. Except Jeff and Dr.Fisher.  
  
It had been a week since the accident had occurred. And Rachel was finally coming home. Dr.Fisher had decided to keep her there for awhile and get her started with the physical therapy. Rachel hated the physical therapy. It hurt every bone in her body doing the exercises. She so desperately wanted to give up but she didn't. Each day, someone had been there with her. Whether it was Monica during the day and Ross at night or even Joey with a meatball sub during lunch, they had been there for her through it. Now she was finally getting to go home.   
  
"Ready, sweetie?" Ross asked her as he came in followed by a nurse with a wheelchair.   
  
"You bet I am. It'll be so good to get out of this joint and into my own bed." As Ross helped Rachel ease herself into the wheelchair, Dr.Fisher wandered into the room.   
  
"Glad to see you're finally going home, Rachel," Dr.Fisher said.   
  
"You and me both. No offense, but after awhile, this place gets BORING."   
  
Dr.Fisher laughed. "You have no idea how many times I've heard that. I simply wanted to check in on you before you left. You've made some excellent progress with your physical therapy now. You're not walking completely perfect yet and it'll be some time."   
  
"How often are my physical therapy sessions now that I'm out of here?"   
  
"We'll keep you going to the physical therapist every day and than when the therapist thinks you're making enough progress, we'll gradually lessen your time. Before you know it, you won't have therapy anymore and you'll be as good as new."   
  
Rachel sighed. She'd give anything to not have to do this and go back to how things were a week ago. "Sounds good to me."   
  
"Well, here's your first appointment slip. Jeff, your therapist, wants you to come tomorrow at 11. Is that a problem?"   
  
Rachel looked at Ross. "Sweetie, I've got a class tomorrow but don't worry. I talked to Monica and she said she'd take you."   
  
"Okay, you tell this Jeff guy I'll see him at 11 tomorrow. Sharp."   
  
"He's looking forward to it. I'll check in on your progress every once in a while to see how you're doing. Take it easy. I hope I don't have to see you back here...," being interrupted by the beep of her pager. "Excuse me, I'm being paged. Just take it easy Rachel, and within time, you'll feel much better with walking. If you have any questions, don't hesistate to call me or Jeff even."   
  
"Thanks Dr.Fisher. I appreciate it." She than left the room.   
  
"Rach, do you have everything? Take a look around. Make sure everything you have is what you're bringing home."   
  
"Ross, please. You're starting to sound like Monica. I have everything. Monica helped me pack last night and made sure I didn't forget anything. Let's just go home."  
  
Ross grabbed the back of her wheelchair and wheeled her out of the hospital to outside. They got into a cab that was waiting and sped off into the busy city traffic on their way home. As soon as they got in the cab, her head hit Ross's shoulder and she dozed off. He didn't dare to move her, she looked too precious. Finally, when they reached Monica's apartment building, he gently nudged her.   
  
"Rach," he whispered softly. "Wake up."   
  
"Mmm? What? I just had the nicest dream...it was of you."   
  
"Really! Hehe, well, we're home. Come on, let's get inside and see everyone." Meanwhile, at Monica and Chandler's place, they were busy helping Monica get ready for Rachel's welcome home party.   
  
"Phoebe, make sure the flowers in her room are fresh. Chandler, move any of your porn magazines into the bedroom. Joey, get these damn Rolos out of my couch!" Monica was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.   
  
"Sweetie, you got to relax,"Chandler said as he kissed her head. "This is Rachel that is coming home. Not the freaking President of the United States."   
  
"This is not the time for jokes. I'm sorry, I just want everything to be perfect. She's had a rough enough week. I just thought anything special would help cheer her up. Joey, don't eat those cookies! You'll spoil your appetite." She slapped his hand away from the chocolate chip cookies.   
  
"Chandler, you should learn to control your woman. Tell her a man's gotta eat."   
  
Phoebe came into the living room from Rachel's room and announced, "All done!"   
  
"With what?" Monica pried.   
  
"Rachel's room. I made sure the flowers had water, fluffed her pillows." She noticed Joey and Chandler were sniffing the air. "And oh, I lit some vanilla candles!"   
  
"Oh, good. Hopefully the curtains or something won't catch on fire," Monica said. She heard a little giggle behind her and turned around, realizing Rachel and Ross were behind her. "Hey Rach. Welcome home!" They all went in to give her a little hug. It took Joey a tad longer than usual to realize why she was still in a wheelchair.  
  
"Hey, um, Rach?" "Yeah?" "You're not um, paralyzed....right?"  
  
"Oh, you mean the wheelchair? No," she stated. "I'm not a hundred percent steady with the walking yet so this is just to get around."   
  
"How much more time are you going to be stuck in it?" "Hopefully not too long. My butt is already starting to fall asleep! So, Mon, what'd you make? Hopefully it's better than that food they tried to feed me at the hospital."   
  
"Hey," Joey said. "I liked that food. It was good!"   
  
Bewildered, Chandler asked, "Joey, why would you eat her food?" "She was sleeping. I didn't want it to go to waste." They all just shook their heads at him while Rachel laughed.   
  
"It's okay, Joe," she said with a laugh.   
  
"Come on everyone," Monica interjected. "Let's eat before this food gets cold."   
  
Chandler helped wheel Rachel over to the table and everyone followed. Except Ross. He stood back and just observed his surroundings.  
  
Monica stopped and saw him looking at everything. "Ross?" she asked.   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Something the matter?"   
  
"No, everything is perfect. I just can't be thankful enough that she's home and everything is going smoothly."   
  
"I know," she said hugging her big brother. "It's good to have her with us."   
  
"Hey Ross," Rachel called from the table. "You better get over here and get some food before Joey eats it all." Joey was sitting next to Phoebe and shoving the ziti Monica baked into his mouth by huge portions. Monica and Ross couldn't help but laugh. That was just one of the many things Joey normally did. They both walked over and before he even sat down, he planted a kiss on Rachel's head, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo. Then, he simply wrapped his arms around her.   
  
"So good to have you here sweetie," he whispered.   
  
"I know. I feel the same way," she whispered back. Ross took his seat next to her and the gang had one of their usual times together.   
  
The night went by fast and it seemed too short. Sound asleep, Rachel was woken up by the knocking on her door. Something she did not want to hear this early in the morning. She looked over at her alarm clock and noticed it was 9:45AM. She groaned and plopped her face back into the pillow.   
  
"Rach?" Monica called from outside her door.   
  
Grumbling, she turned back over. "What?"   
  
"Can I come in?"   
  
"Sure." Monica came in and sat down on the bed. "Feel like breakfast? We've got a little time before you have to go to physical therapy. I made you chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, toast, squeezed some fresh orange juice. How about I bring it to you in here?"   
  
"No, Mon. That's fine. I'll come eat out in the kitchen since there can't be any crummies in the bed. Help me up into the chair, will ya?"   
  
She helped her best friend into the wheelchair and out into the kitchen they went. They munched on the yummy food Monica prepared and than Rachel got ready to go to her therapy appointment. ------------------------- "Hello, you must be Rachel," said Jeff. "I'm Jeff, your physical therapist."   
  
"Hi. This is my friend Monica."   
  
"Nice to meet you Monica. Well, Rachel, how ambitious are you?"   
  
"Pretty ambitious....I guess. Why?"   
  
"Well, I just want to know how hard I'm going to have to push you to get you out of that chair or if you're going to push yourself to do it."   
  
Rachel laughed. "I want to get the hell out of this thing!"   
  
"Then let's get to work," Jeff said with a smile.  
  
"Monica, you're welcome to stay and watch."   
  
"Thanks, I'll take a seat over there," pointing to where she planned on sitting.   
  
"So first, we're going to start doing some exercises to help you build up your strength and endurance again."   
  
"Alright buddy, let's get cracking!" Rachel joked. And away they went with the therapy session. ----------------------- "How'd the therapy go today, sweetie?" Ross asked Rachel later that night at dinner.   
  
"Excellent. I really like the guy. He's very agressive and that's good considering I want to be back walking again very soon." "Good I'm glad. When's your next appointment with him?"   
  
"Tomorrow at 3. I switched it from 11 hoping you could come to this session."   
  
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he told her. ------- Each time as her therapy sessions went by, Rachel kept making progress. She was so ecstatic with the progress. Only three weeks after coming home from the hospital she got rid of using the wheelchair. The day that happened Ross took her out to dinner to celebrate. Even Jeff was thrilled with the progress.   
  
"Rachel, this is just amazing," he said to her one day at one of her sessions after she got rid of the wheelchair. "I've never seen one of my patients work so hard to get back to the way they were before."   
  
"Well," she said, "I just couldn't let myself down and just wanted to not be stuck in a bad mood for many weeks. I think my friends and boyfriend would get sick of me."   
  
"Well, you're doing awesome. Just a few more weeks and you should be done!"  
  
--------------- More weeks of physical therapy passed and Rachel was finally done with it. "I'm so happy!" she cried bouncing around at her session.   
  
"You should be," commented Jeff. "You made incredible progress and according to your boyfriend Ross and the rest of your friends, you seem to be back to yourself."   
  
"Thanks so much for your help, Jeff," she said. "You don't know how much I appreciate it."   
  
"Hey, I was just doing my job," he told her. "And plus, you had that little fiesty attitude most days that made you work ten times harder than most of my other patients. You should go out and celebrate your recovery."   
  
"Thanks, I will," she said as she noticed Ross coming into the room with Dr.Fisher.   
  
"Hey, sweetie!" she called to him. He walked over and gave her a kiss. "Rachel, glad to see you're finally back to yourself," Dr.Fisher told her. "Yeah, I don't feel like Humpty Dumpty anymore!" They all laughed.   
  
"Well, just wanted to say goodbye and wish you the best of luck with everything. I've got another patient waiting so I've gotta scoot," the doctor said. They waved goodbye and than she left.   
  
"Thanks so much for helping Rachel," Ross said while shaking Jeff's hand. "It's means so much to everyone that she's still here and now back to walking."   
  
"Well it was a pelasure to work with her. I wish you the best of luck with everything, Rachel," Jeff told her.   
  
"Thanks." She turned to Ross and hooked her arm through his. "Let's go home," she whispered lightly in his ear. ---------------- "So good to be walking again," Rachel commented as her and Ross headed into the apartment building. "I feel like a brand new person. Does that seem strange to you," she asked him.   
  
"Not at all. You're still the same beautiful girl I have loved since I was fifteen. And I don't think anything can change that...again," he said with a smile. "Come on. I know Mon probably has a big dinner prepared for us."   
  
They rushed up to the apartment and walked through the door. Mon was busy setting the table by herself since Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe seemed so involved watching something so they wouldn't have to help. "Hey guys. I'm baccccck!" she squealed in delight. The three looked from the TV set and saw it was her.   
  
"Hey Rach!" Phoebe squealed like a school girl and ran to hug her. After a round of hugs from all of them, Mon came and grabbed her best friend. The two were in a tight embrace. "Come on Rach, want something to eat? You must be starving," she said as she dragged Rachel into the kitchen with Phoebe not far behind.   
  
As the three girls stood in the kitchen and talked amongst themselves, Ross followed Chandler and Joey over to the couch. "It's so great to see Rachel this happy again," Joey commented. "I can't remember the last time I saw this much joy on her face." "I can," Chandler said.   
  
Ross was intrigued. "Really? When?"   
  
Clearing his throat, "When you asked her back out around New Years eve, man. We all knew something was going to happen."   
  
"You all knew?!"   
  
"Yea, even Joey knew something was firing up between the two of you," Chandler joked.   
  
"Yep, it's true," Joey commented. "But Ross, what are you going to do now?"   
  
"What do you mean, Joe?"   
  
"Like do you just want to date her for awhile. Or are you going to go further and eventually propose?"   
  
"Well, you know I though a lot about this ever since the accident," he said as he looked over his shoulder at the girls in the kitchen, hoping they weren't hearing the conversation.  
  
"You know, it just felt so right. I mean, her and me. We just fit together. I've actually thought about this alot and I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna propose to her."   
  
Chandler and Joey were totally shocked by this. "Are you sure Ross," Chandler questioned him. "This'll be like...your third marriage."   
  
"Totally sure. I mean look at her. She's everything I've always wanted and more. So when she goes back to work, I'm going looking for rings. I can't wait to ask her. I just hope the answer is yes." ------------- AN: Sorry for such a long chapter! I figured it was worth it and needed because the next one will probably be the last for this fic. Please read & review! Thanks! ;) 


End file.
